New feature: WebSphere Application Server Version 8.0
is the first full version to be installed by IBM Installation Manager rather than by the ISMP-based
installer, Update Installer, and Installation Factory programs that
are used to install and maintain previous versions. Installation Manager
is a single installation program that can use remote or local software
flat-file repositories to install, modify, or update new WebSphere Application Server products.
It determines and shows available packages—including products, fix
packs, interim fixes, and so on—checks prerequisites and interdependencies,
and installs the selected packages. You also use Installation Manager
to easily uninstall the packages that it installed.
Important: Do
not use the same response files that are used with WebSphere Application Server Version 7.0
or earlier to install or uninstall Version 8.0 and later; use response
files that are based on Installation Manager to install, update, or
uninstall Version 8.0 and later.
- Overview of IBM Installation Manager:
IBM Installation Manager
is a general-purpose software installation and update tool that runs
on a range of computer systems. Installation Manager can be invoked
through a graphical user interface (GUI) or a command-line interface.
You can also create response files in XML and use them to direct the
performance of Installation Manager tasks in silent mode.
For
more information on using Installation Manager, read the IBM Installation
Manager Version 1.5 Information Center.
- Packages and package groups:
Each software product that can be installed with Installation
Manager is referred to as a package. An installed package has a product
level and an installation location. A package group consists of all
of the products that are installed at a single location.
- Installation Manager modes:
IBM Installation Manager
can be installed in one of the following three modes:
- How many Installation Managers do you need:
You only need to run Installation Manager on those systems
on which you install or update product code. You normally need only
one Installation Manager on a system because one Installation Manager
can keep track of any number of product installations.
- Installing Installation Manager:
When the installation kit is available on your system, you
can install Installation Manager. Installation Manager consists of
a set of binaries that are copied from the installation kit and a
set of runtime data that describe the products that have been installed
by this particular Installation Manager. Before installing Installation
Manager, you must decide in which mode the Installation Manager will
run as well as where the binaries and runtime data—called agent data
or appdata—will reside. Then, you issue an Installation Manager installation
command from the appropriate user ID to install Installation Manager.
- Accessing product repositories:
All software materials that will be installed with IBM Installation Manager are stored
in flat-file repositories. Each repository contains program objects
and metadata for one or more packages—that is, software products at
a particular level. Repositories can also contain product maintenance,
such as fix packs and interim fixes. Whenever you install a new product,
you can choose from any of the available product levels in any accessible
repository.
- Installing the product:
After you have installed Installation Manager and have access
to all necessary product repositories, you can use the Installation
Manager GUI, command-line commands, or response files to perform the
actual product installations. When you install a product, you provide
the package name, optionally the product level to be installed, the
product location, and any other optional properties. For example,
some products have optional features that you can select at installation
time or a list of optional supported language packs from which you
can select.
- Working with installed products:
You can use Installation Manager commands to list installed
products and product levels. You can also obtain this information
for installed copies of WebSphere Application
Server Version 8.5 products by issuing the versionInfo command
from the product file system. You can use Installation Manager commands
or response files to install a new product level, roll back to a previous
level, or modify the product by adding or removing optional features
or language packs.
- Using IBM Packaging Utility:
IBM Packaging Utility
is a companion tool for Installation Manager with which you can create
and manage custom Installation Manager repositories for your organization.
You can copy multiple packages, maintenance levels, and fixes into
a single repository. Packaging Utility copies from source repositories
to your target custom repositories. Source repositories can include
any accessible Installation Manager repository, including IBM web-hosted product repositories
and unzipped Passport
Advantage® downloads. For more information on Packaging Utility,
go to the IBM Packaging
Utility Information Center.
Packaging Utility Version
1.5.2 introduced the capability to create "platform-scoped" repositories.
The -platform option of the Packaging Utility
copy command
allows you to further customize and reduce the size of your repository
by maintaining content for only those platforms that your organization
uses. For more information, read
Command-line arguments for pucl. If you specify
unsupported operating-system and architecture combinations for WebSphere Application Server
offerings when you use the -platform option of the Packaging Utility
copy command,
however, unusable local repositories might be created. The following
table lists valid combinations for creating a local WebSphere Application Server offering repository
that is sliced by operating system and architecture.
Table 1. Valid
combinations for creating a local WebSphere Application
Server offering repository using the Packaging Utility copy command
Platform |
Options |
Resulting Repository |
Windows |
os=win32,arch=x86 os=win32
|
Windows 32
bit and 64 bit |
Linux Intel |
os=linux,arch=x86 |
Linux Intel 32 bit and 64 bit |
Linux Power® |
os=linux,arch=ppc |
Linux Power 32 bit and 64 bit |
zLinux |
os=linux,arch=s390 |
zLinux 32 bit and 64 bit |
AIX® |
os=aix |
AIX 32
bit and 64 bit |
Solaris Sparc |
os=solaris,arch=sparc |
Solaris Sparc 32 bit and 64 bit |
Solaris Intel |
os=solaris,arch=x86 |
Solaris Intel 64
bit |
HP-UX Itanium |
os=hpux |
HP-UX Itanium 64
bit |
IBM i |
os=os400 |
IBM i |
z/OS® |
os=zos |
z/OS |
Restriction: ![[Updated in January 2013]](../../delta.gif)
When using the Packaging
Utility command-line interface (
PUCL.exe) that is
available in the Packaging Utility installation folder, you can only
specify the
-platform parameter once.
![[Updated in January 2013]](../../deltaend.gif)
jan2013
Important: Installation Manager can install
any fix-pack level of the product directly without installing the
interim fix packs; in fact, Installation Manager installs the latest
level by default. For example, you can skip fix-pack levels and
go from Version 8.0.0.1 directly to Version 8.0.0.5. Keep in mind,
however, that later you can not roll back to any level that was skipped.
If you directly install to Version 8.0.0.5, for example, you cannot
roll back to Version 8.0.0.4. If you skip from Version 8.0.0.1 to
Version 8.0.0.5, you can only roll back to Version 8.0.0.1. You should
plan your installations accordingly.
newfeat